Enhancing Access to Justice for Victims and Survivors of Domestic Abuse: Report under Section 29 of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021
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Legal aid is a component of the welfare state ensuring access to justice for people who would otherwise be unable to afford legal representation. It provides protections in law in respect of the ability of people to defend themselves: in criminal proceedings, and in civil and family proceedings. It provides access to professional advice and representation and supports the protection of human rights.
In 2021, the Department of Justice enacted the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 which makes a range of provisions aimed primarily at supporting and protecting victims of domestic abuse. Section 29 of this Act requires the Department lay a report setting out proposals to reduce the cost for the victim of defending proceedings brought against them by an abusive partner, or for making it more difficult for abusers to access civil legal services to bring vexatious applications and to perpetuate their abuse through the courts. In the development of this report, the Department commissioned independent research into the experiences of victims and survivors of domestic abuse in the family courts in 2022. This research has been supplemented by evidence from the foundational review of civil legal services and a Review and Rapid Priority Setting Exercise of Civil Legal Aid for Cases of Domestic Abuse in Northern Ireland, commissioned jointly with the Commissioner for Victims of Crime. This report was laid in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 23 June 2025.